SWEETWATER COUNTY –– The Sweetwater County county commissioners unanimously approved a contract between the county and the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security.

The county was awarded $244,113.41 from the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, which expires June 30, 2026. Grants Manager Krisena Marshal said the funding doesn’t require a county funding match and will support emergency response teams with equipment to help them respond to weapons of mass destruction. The money isn’t discretionary funding and has to be used for specific items.

“This funding will be used to purchase critical equipment for the Sweetwater County Bomb Squad under the Emergency Response Team … No. 4, which is overseen by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office,” she said.

She said the largest cost item will be a new bomb robot, with funding to also be used for bomb suits, plates, vests, and wire attack kits and supplies. Marshal said some of the planned purchases were originally submitted for federal Homeland Security grant funding, but were denied in anticipation of the funding that would be available from the state. She also said the funding was part of the sheriff’s office 2025 budget and won’t require a budget amendment.

The new bomb robot will replace the robot the bomb squad has used since 2009. The robot is five years past its life expectancy.

“It is significantly antiquated and batteries are no longer in production, ” she said.

Marshal also said the bomb squad is one of the busiest in Wyoming, being utilized throughout the region, protecting approximately 149,000 residents.

Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle said the robots are used in situations beyond dealing with bombs, saying there were discussions about using the county’s bomb robot to gauge toxic gases inside the westbound Interstate 80 tunnel following the fatal crash and fire Feb. 14. Other uses include utilizing them to approach buildings and vehicles during dangerous situations.